Project Background:

With the emergence of smart glasses as a relatively new technology in the market, a top technology company with an existing smart glasses line was motivated to learn more about its users. The goal of this research was to understand WHO their most engaged users are and to understand HOW they are using their smart glasses. 

Approach:

We recruited participants from a list provided to us by the client and used a dialogue-based recruiting approach to identify 20 of the most interesting and articulate users. To ensure diversity in usage patterns, we sought a representative sample of users leveraging smart glasses in various ways.

Next, we had participants complete a 3-day online diary to better understand the users’ motivations for use and to identify key use cases and usage drivers. 

Lastly, we completed 12 in-person immersions (contextual inquiries) visiting where the user predominantly used their smart glasses. This human-centered, on-site research strategy allowed us to glean rich insights into the identities and needs of these users, as well as the perceived value of smart glasses in their lives.

Insights and Impact:

A critical aspect of this investigation involved identifying the "JOB(s)" that smart glasses fulfilled for their users to shed light on the core utility and value proposition of the technology, which we were able to achieve. In addition to this, we were able to identify unmet needs and critical pain points that led to opportunities for design and engineering teams. The impact of our research supported our client in better understanding their most engaged users (and those on the “cusp”), which informed meaningful conversations around usage and retention for their broader smart glasses portfolio.